Louis Lunch – legend has it that it’s where the first hamburger was created

Visit the famous original Pepe’s pizza. Legend has it that pizza was created in New Haven too. (as we say… legend)

Sallies Pizza (Pepe’s Main Rival)

Listen to some live music at Toad’s Place. Some really big acts first performed here – U2, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones to name some.

If cigars are your thing, The Owl is a cigar lounge where you can smoke inside, get a cocktail & a nibble.

Parks – West Rock State Park, East Rock Park, Carousel at Lighthouse Point Park

Biking

Our area is a great place to bike. The small, winding streets in the neighborhood are perfect to explore by bike, and you can easily ride up to Lenny’s or a bit further up to Main St. For road cyclists looking for longer distances, the shoreline is the perfect place to ride. The terrain is flat and you can cycle along the shore for many miles, enjoying great views of the Sound and some of the most scenic small towns in New England including nearby Guilford and Madison.

Boating & Sailing

You can launch a kayak right in the back yard, but be careful about the tides. At low tide the basin out back drains completely. In general, there is water approximately three hours before and after high tide. There are steps leading down to the water through the small fenced in garden. You can also launch your kayak from the public access beach across the street. Head about 50 feet up Summer Island Point Rd (the way you came in) and you will see a blacktop walkway that leads to the beach (see the section on beaches for more directions).

Daren is a sailor and notes that sailing on LI Sound around Branford is among the best places in New England for varied scenery and great places to explore. http://www.sail-works.com/ offers sailing charters in Branford. Bruce and Johnson Marina is about a mile away and provides full service marine facilities. Thimble Island Cruises offers a very popular boat tour of the nearby Thimble Islands.

Although we are not fishermen ourselves, we know that there are a wide array of fishing options on the Sound and several companies that offer fishing charters. If you get around to chatting with the neighbors to the right (light blue house & if it’s not rented to renters like yourselves!), they are fisherman by trade and can certainly guide you in the right direction.

Golfing

We are not golfers but know that the nearest public course in in North Branford: Twin Lakes Golf Course. See the web link below.

We do love to hike! There are plenty of larger hiking areas and several shorter trails within a reasonable driving distance from our home. Guilford (neighbor town to the east) offers the Mattabesett Trail while East Haven (neighbor town to the west) offers the Farm River State Park.

If you are visiting during the cold months – Connecticut does have some skiing options in the state. Less than an our away is Mount Southington. Just over an hour away is Ski Sundown and Mohawk Mountain.

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I love exploring the links between spirituality, science and philosophy. I enjoy baking, writing, walking, jogging, hiking and yoga. I newly LOVE knitting. I am mostly vegetarian, but not exclusively. I love ethnic foods and trying new dishes. I also love good vino! 🍷Between my husband and I, we have four kids. I'm a yoga teacher, I manage our second home as a vacation rental and I work part-time at the job I spent my 20's and 30's in full time in healthcare administration. Life is a journey and I keep reminding myself to enjoy the ride. Namaste! ☮